1. Technical Field
The invention relates to methods and materials involved in expressing and purifying recombinant chimeric IgE polypeptides.
2. Background Information
Generating a vaccine to treat IgE-induced hypersensitivity conditions such as food, dander, and pollen allergies, asthma, and eczema requires large quantities of a chimeric IgE polypeptide effective to induce the production of anti-self IgE antibodies when administered to a mammal. Recombinant DNA technology is widely used in medicine, diagnostics, agriculture, and related fields to produce large amounts of a desired polypeptide quickly and cost-effectively. Appropriately designed genetic constructs can permit a polypeptide to be produced by a variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, including bacteria, yeast, insect larvae, insect cells, and mammalian cells. The organisms and nucleic acid vectors used depend on such factors as structure and function of the desired polypeptide, post-translational modification requirements, purification requirements and restrictions, required yields, and the purified polypeptide's intended application.